My Bloody Idiot

It was one of those ungodly days when not a single soul was seen strolling around Huntington Beach. Rain was coming down heavily and I won’t be lying if I said that the vision while driving was the next best thing to a fucking zero.

Right after I had killed the engine, I zipped up my leather jacket and pulled the hood of my hoodie low over my eyes. As I exited my car, I quickly was met with the fact that not even my little run towards the studio would keep me dry. Why the hell do I even bother?

I loved the rain, but only when I didn’t have to go anywhere and I could stay home and netflix and chill with a big mug of cocoa. This was clearly not the case. I was super glad I hadn’t put my face on this morning – it would be a big fucking waste of that stupidly expensive make-up I had bought. At least something I did right this morning.

I walked in through the big glass double door and realized most of the people usually running around the place like crazed chipmunks had honored themselves with a day off. I couldn’t bare, but roll my eyes as I pushed open the door to the studio B.

At least Justin was smart enough to come to work today. „Mornin’,” I said as I stripped off the wet leather jacket and threw it over one of the leather chairs.

„Oh hey,” Justin slowly straightened from the mixing board he was boosting on previously, and turned his head to look over me. His eyebrow cocked amused, „It looks like you forgot to take off your clothes before you went for a swim.”

„Well you obviously haven’t been outside today,” I pointed to his dry clothes as I pushed the hood off my head.

„If you hadn’t noticed I, in fact, don’t live here, so obviously I, in some kind of magical unicorn way, had to get out of my house to get here,” He chuckled as I ruffled my hair to shake the excess water out of it. „You could’ve taken an umbrella, you know...”

„I’m not made out of sugar,” I waved him off as I sat down in front of the mixing board, „I’m sure I won’t melt...”

„Suit yourself,” He shrugged, fixing his eyes on the computer screen. As for me? I decided to roll over to my leather jacket along with the chair and pulled out my phone, before I returned to my previous spot. My sneakers rested on the mixing board as I leaned deeper in the chair, scrolling through instagram.

Look at that... turns out the one and only Synyster Gates has an instagram account. Hmm... to follow or not to follow, that’s the real question. Fine. Let’s hit the ‘follow’ button. And done. I couldn’t believe how these social media sites were taking over everything. And I couldn’t believe I was taking a quick pic of my legs on the mixing board and uploading it to instagram, of course not without the right filter, which took me good twenty minutes to choose. God... I’ve become such a basic bitch...

My eyes fixed on the time in the top right corner of the screen. That can’t be right... I quickly checked my wristwatch, realizing it truly was 9:02 AM. I glanced over the recording booth to see exactly no one recording there.

I took a breath, figuring I’d give her another half an hour, knowing of the weather outside. I mean, hey, even I wasn’t too keen on heading to work and she’s far more spoiled than I could ever be.

The phone vibrated in my hands, indicating I had received a comment on the instagram photo I had just posted. Surprisingly I had received a comment from Superfakesyngates.

I can’t believe you get paid for this... Thank god you’re not my producer.

Was that a kissy face at the end of the comment? My eyebrow arched as I had to double-check what the hell he had just wrote down. „Lee... I think Gates has gone loco...”

„Gee, you think?” Justin muttered, his eyes still fixed on the computer screen. What the hell is he doing there, if our artist is not present and without his headphones he’s clearly not mixing shit...

I leaned over to see him playing one of those Fallout games. I frowned. „Since when do we have Fallout on this pc?”

„Since Jennifer goes on a break every two hours... for an hour.” He shrugged.

„Someone has to teach the girl some work ethics,” I mumbled under my nose as I typed a reply to Brian’s comment.

If I was your producer, I doubt you’d be stalking people on social media when, in fact, you should be recording. XO – therealrileyvex

After a while of scrolling through photo’s and surfing through facebook’s posts, I realized there’s absolutely nothing to see. Booooring. So the smart move to make was to put that goddamn phone away, before I checked my watch again. „Oh come on... this is ridiculous. It’s nearly ten...”

Finally Justin picked up his Apple phone from the mixing board with a visible frown on his features, „Well... I don’t know what to tell you, Vex. If she’s not here in the next hour, I’m calling in Nothing More. I don’t get paid for sitting on my ass all day...”

„Actually... you do,” I giggled, realizing that was exactly what got his pockets full of money.

„You know what I meant,” He rolled his eyes as he returned to his game.

With a heavy sigh I pushed myself up from the chair, when I realized Justin’s good mood is quickly deteriorating and he’s not up for a chit-chat about Honey Boo Boo with me anymore. „Hey, dude, want some coffee?”

He cussed something under his breath, before he sighed. I guess that meant the game isn’t going that well either. „Yea, but... wait, you’re going to Starbucks or—„

„At this weather?” I laughed theatrically. I was barely starting to dry off, there’s no way in hell I’m going back out and risking with drowning in some puddle. „I’m going to try my luck reincarnating the beast in the lobby.” My thumb pointed to the soundproof glass door.

„You mean the vending machine?” He arched an eyebrow. I nodded. „There’s a new coffee maker in the kitchen. I’d be yours eternally if you’d make me that valley girl sweetened piss-water.”

„Come again?” I frowned.

„A vanilla latte.”

„Whipped cream too?” I joked.

„Yep.” This dude was unbelievable. I mean, can you think of an even bigger sweet-tooth than me? Me neither. Until I met this freak.

With a shake of my head I exited the recording room and walked over the lobby to the kitchen. As soon as I walked in the room, I noticed Brian’s messy nape by the coffee machine. Thank God, maybe he’ll be nice enough to make some of that deliciousness for me too.

„Hi,” I said with a smile on my face, forcing him to turned around and look at me.

He cocked an eyebrow, „You’re smiling... Are you feeling okay?”

„I was wondering...”

„Uh-oh,” he mused, returning to the coffee machine.

„What?” I demanded, taken aback.

„You wondering. That’s never a good sign,” His shoulders trembled as he laughed, finally shooting me a look over his shoulder.

„Ass.”

„So what were you wondering about?” He picked up his Winter is coming mug and brought it to his lips.

„If you could maybe make me a coffee?” An innocent smile pulled at my lips.

„You’re unbelievable,” Laughing quietly, he extended his arm, offering me his coffee. Okay? That’s a first. I looked between the mug and him. „Just take it. It’s exactly how you like it.”

Hesitantly I walked closer and took the mug from him, taking an uneasy sip. Holy shit! It really was how I liked it. Coffee, milk and two sugars. Why in the hell was he drinking the same coffee as me? But instead of coming off as an ungrateful bitch and tackling him with the question, I pushed the thought away. „Thank you.”

„Don’t mention it,” He shrugged, going to fill yet another mug.

„Oh and can you please make a vanilla latte for Justin? Don’t hold back on the whipped cream. Thanks.” I smiled guiltily, turning around so I don’t have to face his ‘are-you-for-real’ look, he was undoubtedly and so generously sending me.

Just as I turned to look outside the big window to see the situation hadn’t changed and my best guess was it wouldn’t in the next hour or so, with the corner of my eye I noticed Jennifer marching in the room, a radiant smile on her lips as she went past me without a word and walked over to Brian to push a kiss on his cheek.

Excuse me?

With the Game of Thrones mug at my lips, I turned on my heel, a bigass frown on my face. I took a quick and slurping sip, before I lowered the mug, „So good to see you at the studio finally.” This time I didn’t even try to pull off a fake smile. I simply glared at her as she went to prepare her a cup of tea.

„What are you talking about?” She laughed with a frown, „I’ve been recording since 8 AM.” She turned to face Haner, „Can you pass me the sugar, please?”

„Uhmm... No?” The confusion grew even bigger. „I’ve been here since then and either I’m blind, or you haven’t been in the studio.”

„Riles, your coffee,” he placed Justin’s diabetes in a mug on the counter, „And I’m going back to recording. Ladies.” He nodded as he excused himself, when simply, the bastard was running from the hell I was about to raise in this goddamn kitchen.

„Look...” Jennifer turned around as soon as Brian had left the room. Her face dropped instantly. „You’re not my producer anymore, deal with it.”

Excuse me? What kind of fucking bullshit was falling from her mouth? I’m not her producer? What the fuck did that mean? Didn’t I have a saying in the matter? My mum was the fucking owner of the company for christ sake! Shouldn’t somebody at least sent me a memo or something? „Then who the fuck is producing you know?”

„Gino.” She said simply as she picked up her mug.

Gino? Fucking GINO?! The one who just started working for us? A guy freshly out of college? The guy who fixed me up with my stash? You’ve got to be kidding me... „And who the hell approved this?” I asked incredulous.

„Listen, Vex...” She smiled sweetly right after she had stopped a feet away. „I’m not gonna risk my music by putting up with such an unqualified producer like yourself. I mean, your Lethal Injection record? It’s weak. You’re weak. From every aspect. Case closed.” How the fuck dared she?! „I’m a great artist, I know that. And I’ll put out a hundred times better album than you have and ever will. Bye. Have a nice life.”

And like that – she left. As for me? I remained. Trying to process each word she said to me.

With a confused frown I sipped on my coffee until Brian jogged in right past me.

„Forgot my phone,” he said and started back off the door in a hurried pace.

„Stop.” I said calmly, taking the last mouthful of the coffee. „Turn around. Explain.”

„Clarke, I really have shit to do,” He said quickly as soon as he had faced me.

„You knew...” I spoke, the sudden realization hitting me really fucking hard. „You knew she was fucking recording and you didn’t say anything?” Oh here it is. Rage, the long lost friend. Took a moment before it hit me.

Brian scoffed, „I thought you knew.”

„Knew?!” My eyebrows shot up, „Fucking knew?! If I had known, I would’ve let Saint fuck her bloody face up!”

I saw him pinch the bridge of his nose, „Look is this gonna take long, ‘cause I really have to be some—„

That black Game of Thrones mug he had handed me minutes ago was now politely interrupting his speech as it went flying towards the reddish wall, exploding in tens of pieces on impact. He exhaled heavily, watching over the remainders of the mug on the wooden floor as I stormed past him, running in his shoulder on purpose.

„Fucking dick...” I hissed as I stormed in the Studio B, slamming the glass door behind me. It was a miracle it didn’t break. Justin jumped on the sound, jerking his head to me.

„She fucking walked out on me!” I shouted, pacing the room. „That fucking bitch!”

„Wh-what?” He frowned. „Slow down, inhale, exhale, and start from the top.”

„Nobody fucking walks out on me!” I yelled in frustration, shoving off all the folders from the desk in the far end of the room out of anger.

„You mean to tell me you’re not producing Jennifer anymore? Am I getting it right?”

„She called my music weak,” I spoke as I leaned against the Marshall cabinet, my arms crossed over my chest. „And my mother... how could she do this to me...”

„Vex... You’re making zero fucking sense...” Justin turned around in his chair, his eyes glued to my face. „I’m sure Jude wouldn’t just assign a different producer without telling you, her own daughter for fuck sake...”

„I don’t care,” I said as I kicked a chair over. „I don’t fucking care...”

„You don’t care about what? Is this a british thing? Because, I don’t fucking get you...”

„Cancel every recording today,” I announced him as I pushed myself off the cabinet and started off towards the recording booth door. „I’ll show her weak...”

„Riley? What the fuck are you going to do in there?” Justin spoke with a slight uneasiness to his voice.

„I’m going to make a fucking record, that’s what I’m fucking going to do!”

I couldn’t believe I even stood up for the girl yesterday.

„You’ve got to be fucking kidding me...” I heard Brian’s voice from behind me as Saint turned around very slowly, a look of disbelief to her face and a homicidal spark in her eyes. Fuck me with a popsicle... This is NOT happening...

„You just threw that fucking ball at me?” She spoke quietly as she stepped forward. I bet that ball hadn’t been made for Saint. I sighed.

„So what if I did?” Jennifer, you stupid fucking cunt, why the fuck do you need to fuck my life up so much? It was clear as day she was five Margarita’s too deep in her intoxication and probably wouldn’t remember this moment the morning after, so I could as well let Saint break her jaw, right? I mean she wouldn’t even understand what hit her, pun absolutely intended.

No. Vex, YOU are her producer. The more I reminded myself of the fact, the more it started to lose it’s meaning.

„Bitch, you clearly have no idea who you’re messing with...” Saint charged with her hands formed in tight fists and if it wasn’t for me who jumped in front of her and held her back, I strongly believed she would’ve sent her straight to morgue. „Vex, step out of the fucking way,” the blonde growled at me.

„Saint, she’s drunk...” I started the fruitless negotiation, „She has no idea what she’s doing.” I turned my head to look at Brian over my shoulder, „Take her out of here, will ya’?”

Brian nodded without a word.

„Have you all gone completely fucking nuts?! She has to know her fucking place!” Saint roared in my face, trying to get past me, seeing how Brian led her towards the exit.

„Then show me my fucking place... bitch.” Jennifer managed to throw in with a cocky chuckle, before she and Brian blended into the crowd.

„What did she fucking say to me?!” Saint yelled, realizing they had disappeared in to the crowd. She turned back against me, her jaw clenched and her hands still in fists. „If you’re gonna take her side once more, I will punch you in your goddamn face and that’s a promise.”

„Earth to Vex?” Justin’s voice blared through the speakers of the recording booth.

„What?” I hissed in the mic, taking the headphones and putting them on.

„So, maybe, you have any idea what you want to do?” He suggested, looking at me through the soundproof window, „Or we’re going in blind here?”

„All I know is I wanna scream really loud and punch a bitch in the face.”

Notes

So how about that?
So this is Riley's competition switch mixing with her anger management issues. I'm thinking of which band's songs to use, so maybe you guys have some suggestions? which female vocalist do you think would best represent Riley Vex?

And I can't thank you all for your love, I'm so sorry I'm not replying to each individually this time, but you have my word, I have read each and every comment and I can't thank you all enough for the support!

Love you!